INTERESTED VENDOR FAQ

When is Unique LA held in 2018?Spring Market is May 12 & 13 / Summer Market is TBD / Holiday Market is December 1 & 2The Markets are always held on a Saturday and Sunday, from 10am-5pm, with our vendor set-up and move-in day on the Friday before.

Where is Unique LA held?The Spring & Holiday markets take place in the Penthouse of California Market Center in Downtown LA, while the Summer market takes place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.

How much does it cost to participate?Costs are listed on the individual application for each market, but in general 10X10 Spots are $625, 10X20 Spots are $1450 and our small Table Spots are $400. There are a limited number of Premium Corner Spots available for additional fees, as listed on each application. You can see some examples of what these spots look like here and here.

Do my products have to made in the U.S.A?

No. Our goal is to support American owned, small businesses and designers (which sometimes means some of their products are made elsewhere). The goal of Unique Markets is to showcase goods that are designed, made and sold by the owners themselves. We pride ourselves on getting the community to discover and interact with amazing entrepreneurs.

The Unique mission is to support American owned businesses so that we can continue to stimulate our own economy. Products can be made either in a factory or by hand.

What is a Table Spot?These spots are only for vendors who sell small items that can be displayed on a table and cannot fill a booth (i.e. Jewelry, Stationery, Apothecary Vendors). Just as the 10X10 spots, we provide a custom wooden 'backdrop' that displays your business name on it. The space consists of a 6ft table and chair - you can opt to use your own table or chair if you'd like but you have 6ft wide by 5 ft deep total (that includes space to sit or stand and storage). NOTE: We only have 30-35 Table Spots available per market, so please be aware that you will have much more chance of being accepted if you opt for a 10X10 Spot.

What is a 10X10 Spot?These great new spots are similar to a traditional booth space but there are no walls, creating a more open atmosphere and community-minded environment! Spaces are marked for you on the floor and we provide a 6ft banquet table, 2 chairs and our custom hanging wooden backdrop featuring your business name. Vendors are responsible for bringing fixtures etc. to define their space, and are free to not use the provided table and chairs.

How do I apply and submit payment? All interested sellers, including past vendors, must do three things: fill out an application, submit a 30$ no refundable application fee at the end of the application, and send one required payment check for your desired booth. Details on exact dates are on the specific application for each market. Applications will not be considered unless we receive the application fee online AND the booth payment check via mail. Again, in order to be considered you must submit 2 payments: One for the non-refundable $30 application fee (shared booth vendors must submit $60) and one check for the booth space. The amount for the booth space depends on what size space you choose. CHECKS MUST BE PAYABLE TO ‘UNIQUE INC.’ (not Unique LA) and should list your corresponding Business Name in the memo area, so we know who it’s from. Payments should be sent to Unique Inc. at 1275 E. 6th Street #206, Los Angeles, CA 90021. .

*If you are sharing a booth, please see below.

I want to share a booth, how should we apply?Table spots may not be shared. If you are applying for a shared booth, there is a separate application. You must include the information for your booth partner on your application. Both people applying to share the booth (maximum of two vendors) must fill out a separate application. PLEASE NOTE: We do not match you up with a booth partner. You must apply with the business you want to share with. Send in your two checks in one envelope - one $60 application fee check ($30 per vendor) and one booth payment check. Please list both vendor business names in the memo area of the checks.

Is my application fee refundable? What do you do with my checks?The $30 application fee is non-refundable, and is used to cover the growing admin and staff costs associated with reviewing the hundreds and hundreds of applications for each show. If you are not accepted we shred all space fee checks – we first however email you and give you the option of having us send back your Booth Fee check via snail mail. :)

How do you choose the vendors?To ensure the vendors are diverse, match the aesthetic of the show, and meet shoppers’ expectations, UNIQUE LA is juried. We look for small businesses that are modern and have products that we think our customers would purchase. We also choose businesses that are ready and are at scale to be able to sell at a market our size. There is more demand then we have room for, so please understand that we cannot accept everyone – about 500-600 people will apply for 300-350 spots. Rest assured that we review and consider every single application, and the corresponding website and product images. Your website, social media channels, submitted photos and application are the only things we have to determine whether or not you are accepted.

When will I know if I’m accepted or not?We notify everyone applying on March 15th and 16th whether or not they have been accepted for the 2017 Spring Market. Remember to check your junk mail folder, your 'promotions' folder and/or 'updates folder' on Gmail. Also, please add ‘info@uniquemarkets.com’ to your safe list, as we send our emails through Mailchimp which may get flagged by your email provider as junk!

What if I need to cancel?If you need to cancel you must notify us via email. To receive a FULL refund you must email us within one week after you are notified of your acceptance. If you cancel after this point we will apply 50% of your Booth Fee as a credit for the next show and you forfeit the other half of the payment. Any cancellations within two weeks of the event will not get a refund – you forfeit your fee and spot.

Do I need any permits to participate, what taxes do I collect?No, sellers do not need any temporary permits to participate in Los Angeles, unless you are a food vendor (selling either hot food or packaged food). If you are a food vendor, you will need to obtain a temporary event health permit (which will cost you $71-160) which we will help secure if you are accepted.

All vendors are responsible for registering with the IRS, and collecting sales tax. When it’s time to do your taxes, you’ll have to pay income tax on items you sold, plus pay California sales tax and possibly a City of LA tax. We recommend that you call California’s department of revenue and the IRS for more info: California Dept. of Revenue: 1-800-852-5711 or www.ftb.ca.gov IRS: 1-800-829-4933 or www.irs.gov

Do I have to live in LA to participate?No, our goal is to get people to buy and support independent design and small business owners, 85% of the vendors reside in California, but we accept people from all over the country and Canada, and love sharing great talent from all around!